Labeling machine with three of more simultaneously oscillating label magazines



Sept. 15, 1970 MUNCH 3,528,871

LABELING MACHINE WITH THREE OR MORE SIMULTANEOUSLY OSCILLATING LABELMAGAZINES Filed Jan. 26, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG] 2 w 9 r7 l4 2 ,5 z 52 v w d 74 \Q INVENTOR Kane; 9. Mafia/l ATT Sept. 15, 1970 K, A MUNCH3,528,871

LABELING MACHINE WITH THREE OR MORE SIMULTANEOUSLY OSCILLATING LABELMAGAZINES Filed Jan. 26, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR K424, 4 MwvayATTO NEYS United States Patent Office Patented Sept. 15, 1970 LABELINGMACHINE WITH THREE F MORE SIMULTANEOUSLY OSCILLATING LABEL MAGAZINESKarl Alan Miinch, Neutraubling, Germany, assignor to Hermann Kronseder,Neutraubling, Germany Filed Jan. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 700,779 Claimspriority, application Germany, Feb. 10, 1967,

K 61,381 Int. Cl. B65c 9/14; B65h 3/44 US. Cl. 156-571 4 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A bottle labeler employing three or more oscillatinglabel magazines which simultaneously oscillate in the same direction asa rotating labeling drum to simultaneously feed labels to the drum. Thedrum transfers the labels to a label applying turret which applies thelabels to spaced bottles in a rotating turret or bottle transporter.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Cross reference is made toassignees copending US. patent application Ser. No. 663,289, filed Aug.25, 1967.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Where only one or two oscillating labelingmagazines are utilized to feed labels to a labeling drum, the speed ofoscillation of the magazines must be relatively high if sufficientnumbers of labels are to be furnished to supply the demands for highcapacity bottle labeling. However, labels cannot be smoothly transferredif the magazines must oscillate at high speed. This limits the speed ofdrum rotation and limits the number of bottles that can be labeled insuch a machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, threeor more oscillating label magazines are clustered about a rotatinglabeling drum. These are actuated to oscillate simultaneously with therotation of the drum to simultaneously feed labels from each magazine tocorresponding label receiving pads on the labeling drum. As the threepads with their labels continue to rotate beyond the range of themagazines, the label magazines oscillate in the reverse direction to anew position, in readiness to feed three additional labels to thelabeling drum which, meanwhile, has continued to rotate tobring threemore empty pads in range of the magazines. Meanwhile, the pads withlabels sequentially transfer their labels to a label transfer turret andthence to the bottles on the label transporter.

Accordingly, the time cycle for the reverse oscillation of the labelmagazines equals the time period Within which three bottles are labeled.As compared to the prior art devices in which there were only one or twosuch label magazines for the same bottle output, the oscillating timecycle for the label magazines is lengthened, and the swing speed of themagazines is reduced, thus minimizing problems associated with rapidlyoscillating label magazines.

Moreover, as compared to other labelers devised to feed labels to arotating turret, the labeler of the present invention can be verycompact because the spacing between bottles on the transporter turretcan be less than in such other devices. In preferred embodiments thelabeler of the present invention utilizes glue to pick the labels fromthe magazines. This constitutes an advantage over some other prior artdevices which rely on suction.

In order to be able to increase the capacity of machines with the mosteconomic construction which transfer the labels, taken out of the labelcontainer, to a drum where they are glued and retransmitted, the presentinvention provides that three or more simultaneously swinging labelcontainers are arranged around a rotating taking or labeling drum andthat the bottle spacing on the bottle transporter will be reducedproportionally to the desired increase of capacity as against a machinewith less than three simultaneously swinging label containers. Moreover,the three or more simultaneously swinging label containers, a gluedtaking drum, a glue roller and a labeling cylinder, which takes thelabels from the glued taking drum and transfers them to the vessels tobe labeled, as well as their driving devices are combined in an assemblywhich is adjacent to the bottle transporter and which can be adjusted inat least one plane.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will appearfrom the following disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a labeler embodyingthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of said labeler.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Although the disclosure hereofis detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice theinvention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplifythe invention which may 'be embodied in other specific structure.

The drawings illustrate a labeling machine smoewhat similar to the oneshown in assignees copending US. patent application Ser. No. 663,289above identified. Containers, such as bottles 5, are transported on alabel transporter or turret 17 having a table 6 and centering heads 7between which the bottles are clamped. Labels for the bottles 5 arestored in label magazines 2. The respective magazines are clusteredabout the label taking drum 1. The magazines or containers 2 are mountedon respective shafts 14 and have their label discharge openings facingthe labeling drum 1 which rotates on its shaft 9. Labeling drum 1 has aplurality of circumferentially spaced labeling pads 15 which rotate pasta label applying turret or cylinder 4 and a glue roller 3. Thedirections of movement are indicated by the arrows.

The drive mechanism by which the magazines 2 are oscillated is locatedin base housing 8 and may be such as is shown in copending applicationSer. No. 670,685, now abandoned. The invention is not limited to anysuch mechanism, as any suitable mechanism may be used which willsimultaneously oscillate the magazines 2 so that their discharge endsmove at the same circumferential speed and in the same direction as thepads 15 of the labeling drum 1 while the labels are fed to the drum 1.

As is well known, the labeling magazines 2 are also desirably mounted tomove in the radial direction with respect to drum 1 so that on thereverse oscillation of the magazines, they will be drawn slightly awayfrom contact with the pads 15.

As labeling drum 1 passes the glue roller 3, glue is applied to the pads15. At an appropriate time in the cycle of the mechanism when glued pads15 are in a position to accept labels from the magazines 2, themagazines will oscillate in the same direction as the labeling drum 1 toroll the foremost label .in each magazine over the appropriate pad 15.The glue on the pad will pick the foremost label out of the magazine andadhere it to the pad.

The drum 1 continues to rotate at continuous speed and sequentiallytransfers the three labels on pads 15 one at a time to the labeltransfer turret 4 (which may be similar to the one shown in copendingapplication Ser. No. 663,289 aforesaid), and thence to the containers 5on the rotating bottle turret 6. Meanwhile, the magazines 2 -will bedriven by the mechanism in housing 8 to oscillate the magazines in areverse direction and into a position appropriate for feeding the nextbatch of three labels to the three following pads 15 on the drum 1. Inthe disclosed embodiment there are six pads 15 on drum 1.

The label magazines 2, labeling drum 1, glue roller 3, and labeltransfer turret 4 are all mounted on the housing *8 which is supportedon the column 10 which may be shifted vertically in a sleeve 11 on themachine base 16. Accordingly, all of the parts mounted on the housing 8may be raised and lowered with respect to the bottles 5 on thetransporter 6. A detent mechanism 12, 13 is provided to adjustably andreleasably hold the housing 8 in one or another vertical positionideally suited for applying the labels to the appropriate position onthe containers 5.

By reason of the present invention, the labels may be transportedsmoothly and at high speed from the label transfer turret 4 to thecontainers 5, without necessitating correspondingly high speeds ofswinging operation of the magazines 2. Because all of the parts areclustered together on the housing 8 and all labels are transferred tothe bottles 5 from the single label transfer turret 4, the spacingbetween bottles on the turret 17 can be reduced, as compared to priorart devices. Accordingly, a very compact arrangement is made possible,even though the capacity of the labeling machine is increased over priorart devices.

I claim:

1. In a labeler having a bottle transporter, a rotating turret to applylabels to bottles on the transporter as they pass the turret, a rotatinglabeling drum to transfer labels to the turret, said drum having aplurality of circumferentially spaced label transfer pads, and a supplyof labels for the labeling drum, the improvement in which said supply oflabels comprises at least three label magazines mounted for simultaneousoscillation in the direction of labeling drum rotation whereby tosimultaneously transfer labels directly from each magazine to corresponding pads on the labeling drum as the magazines and drum rotate together.

2. The labeler of claim 1 in which the drum has at least six such padswhereby three label-free pads rotate into label accepting positionsimultaneously with reverse oscillation of the magazines.

3. The labeler of claim 1 in which there is a glue roller ahead of saidmagazines to deposit glue on said pads as they swing into position toaccept labels from the magazines.

4. The labeler of claim 1 in which the three label magazines and labeltransfer drum are mounted on a common assembly which is adjustable withrespect to the label transporter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,717,711 9/1955 Banks 156-571 X3,322,597 5/1967 Della Vite 156-364 FOREIGN PATENTS 947,390 1/1964 GreatBritain.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant ExaminerUS. Cl. X.R. 271-9, 64

